Mail-wagon



(No Model.) v

R. R. RICHARDSON.

.MAIL WAGON.

110.463,45. Pateted Nov. 17, 1891.

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UNITED STATES ATE-NT OFFICE.

' ROBERT R. RICHARDSON, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

a SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,453, dated November 17, 1891.

Application filed July 15, 1891. Serial No. 399,626. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT R. RICHARD- SON, of Portland, in the-county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented a new and Improved Mail-Vagon, of Which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

lVly'invention relates to improvements in mail-Wagons; and the object of my invention 1s to produce a simple and convenient wagon which is especially adapted to carrying assorted lnail, which may be operated so as to bring the various mail-compartmentsWithin easy reach, and Which may also be used for distributing any light articles.

To this end my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, Which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similariigures of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a broken plan View, Apartly in section, of the'wagon. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section onv the line 2 2in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a rear elevation, partly in section on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1.

Thewagonisprovidedwithafiatbody portion 10, and extendingaround the front and sides of the body is a vertical ange l1, which affords protection for the turret, which is mounted upon the body, and the body is supported'by leaf-springs 12 and spiral springs 13 on an axle 14, Which is mounted in Wheels 15, the axle being also provided with shafts 16, Which are secured to the body as well as to the axle, and which afford means of hauling the wagon; but a pole may be substituted for the shafts, if desired. A post 17 is mounted on the upper side of the axle 14: and extends vertically through the Wagon-body and is threaded at its upper end, which threaded end is provided with nuts 18 and with Washers 19, the latter resting upon the top of a turret 20, which is mounted upon the Wagon-body and revolves around the center post, the turret being guided -by a large collar 17 on the center of the body and near the center of the post 17. The turret 2O is provided with a roof 21, which is preferably slightly inclined, and the turret is of a generally-circular shape with slightly-flattened sides. The roof 2l is provided at its edge with notches 22, said notches being arranged at regular intervals, and these notches enable the turret to be easily revolved by engaging a latch on the lever 23. This lever is provided at its free end with a suitable handle 24Which projects beyond the edge of the turret-roof, and the opposite end of the lever is hinged to a plate 25, which is held to turn on t-he post 17 between the washers 19. On the under side of lthe lever'23 and at a point adjacent to the edge of the roof 21 is alatch 26, which when the lever is pushed along the roof Will drop into one 0f the notches 22 and enable the turret to be turned. It Will thus be seen that by grasping the lever and causing the latch to engage a notch the turret maybe turned a convenient distance and the lever may then be raised and turned back to engage another notch, so as to continue the'revolution of the turret.

The turret is divided into alternating series of compartments 27 and 28, the compartments 27 being adapted to hold newspapers and having openings 29 through their outer Walls, as best shownin Fig. 3. The compartments 28 are subdivided by a horizontal partition 3() and vertical partitions 31, so as to form a series4 of pigeon-holes adapted to re ceive assorted letters, and other small articles may be also conveniently stowed away in these pigeon-holes. The compartments 28 are each provided with a door 32, and, if desired, the door may be provided with a lock.

lVhen the Wagon is used, the turret is revolved so as to bring the compartments one by one opposite the rear of the body 10, Where the mail-matter may be easily inserted or removed, and to hold the turret in place While the mail-matter is'being distributed a dog 33 is provid ed, which dog is pivoted on one side of the body 10 near the rear end and is pressed by a spring 34, so as to engage notches 35 in the bottom of the turret, and the rear end of the dog is projected beyond its pivot to forni a handle 36, and by pushing upon the handle the dog may be released, so as to permit the turret to turn easily.

A seat 37 is arranged in the rear of the Wagon, and is supported by a spring-brace 38, Which extends forward beneath the Wagon- ICO body and terminates in clips S9, which are se-A cured to the axle, and above the brace 3S and on each side is a depen ling flange l0, these ilanges being arranged opposite each other, and a foot-board or other similar article may be secured between the flanges, so as to form a convenient support for the feet or for any desired articles. The flanges also serve as 1nud-guards.

To operate the wagon theturretis revolved in the manner described, so as to bring the segmental compartments 27 and 2S successively to the rear of the wagon, and the newspapers are placed in the compartments 27 and the letters in the compartments 2S, f rom which they may be easily removed when desired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A mail-wagon comprising a body mounted on wheels and provided with a xed vertical flange extending around its sides and front, the revoluble turret mounted on the body within said flange and provided with a series of compartments, and a ratchet mechanism for holding the turret in a fixed position, substantially as described.

2. A mail-wagon comprisinga body mounted on wheels and a revoluble turret mounted upon the body, said turret having a series of compartments therein, of which a portion are provided with openings through their outer walls and thc remaining portions are provided with pigeon-holes and with swingpng,l doors, substantially as described.

5. A mailwagon comprisinga body mountcd on wheels and a revoluble turret mounted upon the body and provided with a series of compartments having suitable doors, substantially as described.

el. The combination, with the wagon-body having,` a center post extending vertically through it, oi.' the turret held to revolve on the center post and a jointed lever pivoted to the top portion of the center post and adapted to en gage the upper edge of the turret, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the wagon-body having a vertical center post, and the revoluble turret divided into compartments and having notches in the edge of its roof, of ajointed lever pivoted to the upperedge of the center' post and-provided with a latch to engage the notches ot' the turret, substantially as described.

ROBERT R. RICHARDSON.

lVitnesses:

WM. HATHAWAY,

P. J. CHRrsTENsEN. 

